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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — in music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com